The Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) confirmed today that its national team would complete their home game fixtures for the Euro2016 qualifiers against Germany, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland at the Estádio do Algarve stadium.
Recent speculation that the GFA was going to move its matches to London has been ended and today the association reiterated its confidence in the Algarve Stadium as a neutral ground for the qualifiers.
Issues including VAT and other tax matters seem to have been resolved and the association will play Germany on June 13, 2015, Ireland on September 4, 2015 and Scotland on October 11, 2015.
The row over over-zealous security staff led to a storm of protest by fans which was picked up on social media to the embarrassment of Faro council which controls the site and the Algarve Tourist Board whose handling of the public relations aspect was less than competent.
The resolution agreed is that the Gibraltar Football Association is to hire a new security company for match days.
Despite the Faro ground not having UEFA approval the Gibraltar Football Association is pressing ahead with its fixture list mainly due to the good accessibility of the ground from Faro airport for inbound teams.
Gibraltar can now concentrate on its football, which it needs to do having suffered defeats at home from Poland (7-0), Georgia (3-0) and the Republic of Ireland (7-0).
Comments
Hardly Ed !
The British are either ignorant - mostly - or keep forgetting the shadow cast over the Portuguese psyche by Treaty of Tordesillas. 7 June 1494 and what subsequently happened to the Portuguese claim to half the 'then Unknown World'.
It is a fundamental part of what makes a Portuguese tick - just as the Gibraltar issue is likewise to the Spanish.
Both blame the British today ... for these events centuries ago !!!
No one should be surprised at further antics by the Portuguese in support of their Spanish cousins.